Publication Information

Abstract

This document provides guidance on the content of applications for renewal of the initial renewed operating license. The initial renewed operating license is the first renewed license issued under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 54, "Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants," after either supersession or the expiration of the original operating license issued under either 10 CFR Part 50 or Part 52 following the completion of construction under a construction permit issued under Part 50, or a combined license issued under Part 52. In this guidance document, the renewal of the initial renewed operating license is referred to as "subsequent license renewal" (SLR). The Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants (SRP-SLR) provides guidance to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewers in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. These reviewers perform safety reviews of applications to renew nuclear power plant licenses in accordance with 10 CFR Part 54. The NRC regulations in 10 CFR 54.29 establish the standards for issuance of a renewed license. For nuclear power plants that have received a renewed license, the regulations in 10 CFR 54.31(d) state that "a renewed license may be subsequently renewed in accordance with all applicable requirements." In the Statements of Consideration for the final rule, "Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal," 56 FR 64943, 64964-65 (December 13, 1991), the NRC stated that the requirements for subsequent renewal "include the provisions of [P]art 54 (unless the Commission subsequently adopts special provisions applicable only to subsequent renewals)." To date, the NRC has not adopted special provisions that apply only to subsequent renewal, so that the requirements in 10 CFR Part 54 continue to govern SLR.

The principal purposes of the SRP-SLR are to ensure the quality and uniformity of NRC staff reviews and to present a well-defined base from which to evaluate applicant programs and activities for the subsequent period of extended operation, following the first 20-year period of extended operation (i.e., the initial license renewal period). The SRP-SLR also is intended to make regulatory information widely available to enhance communication with interested members of the public and the nuclear power industry and to improve public and industry understanding of the NRC staff's review process. The safety review is based primarily on the information provided by the applicant in a SLR application. Each of the individual SRP-SLR sections addresses: (i) who performs the review, (ii) the areas of review, (iii) the basis for review, (iv) the method of review, and (v) the conclusions from the review.

This document is a companion document to NUREG–2191, "Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report," that provides guidance for SLR applicants. The GALL-SLR Report contains the NRC staff's generic evaluation of plant aging management programs and establishes the technical bases for their adequacy. The guidance in this document and the GALL-SLR Report are for the use of future applicants for SLR. The NRC does not intend to impose the guidance in this document and the GALL-SLR on current holders of an initial operating license renewal. However, this document and the GALL-SLR Report encompass all of the guidance applicable to initial license renewal. Accordingly, both current holders of initial operating licenses as well as future applicants for initial license renewal may voluntarily choose to reference an AMP in the GALL-SLR Report in their applications. However, such applicants should inform the NRC that they plan to demonstrate consistency with the GALL-SLR Report.

Both the SRP-SLR and GALL-SLR Report were published for public comment in December 2015,
with the comment period ending February 29, 2016. Numerous public comments were received
by the staff. The public comments received were reviewed and dispositioned by the staff. The
disposition of these comments and the technical bases for the staffs' agreement or disagreement with these comments will be published shortly in a NUREG. The staff will also publish a second NUREG that will document all the technical changes made to the license renewal guidance documents published for first license renewal (i.e., for operation from 40 years to 60 years), along with the technical bases for these changes.